My Experience becoming a 32° member of the Scottish Rite.

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Dates of my degrees
10/26/02 (7, 14E, 15E)
11/9/02 (18E, 23E, 32E)

October 26, 2002 - I showed up at my Lodge at around 4:00 PM. The marshal said the degrees offered this evening would take around 4-5 hours to complete. This included a short time for dinner. I looked around and didn't recognize many of the faces. I then learned the difference between a temple and a lodge. The temple is the the physical edifice. Many lodges may meet at a single temple. My blue lodge (St John's Lodge) meets on Wednesdays. There is also another lodge (St. Andrew's Lodge) which meets in the same building on Monday nights. The Scottish Rite may use the temple on any given Saturday. There are several other rites that use the temple as well. This would explain why there were several unfamiliar faces.

There were to be 3 degrees conferred this evening, the 7th, 14th, and 15th. The Scottish Rite degree system is quite confusing and varies within jurisdiction and country. Let me first explain the basics as they were communicated to me. First of all, Scottish Rite degrees are not 'higher' than the 3rd° of Master Mason which I has just been raised to a couple of weeks earlier. The numbers do ascend from 3 but only with the implication that the Scottish Rite degrees compliment and enhance the lessons of the first 3 degrees (which are often referred to as 'Blue Lodge' degrees). Another misconception of Scottish Rite masonry is that you must complete all 29 Scottish Rite degrees to achieve the 32°. Actually, it only takes a minimum of four degrees (one being the 32°). I will have taken a total of five by the time I achieve 32°. To explain it simply, the 29 possible Scottish Rite degrees are divided up into 4 sections. You must take 1 degree from each section to qualify for the 32°. The names of these sections and degrees with the section vary. I belong to the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States. There is an excellent explanation of the degrees in a website from Washington D.C. Scottish Rite Freemasonry.

I must admit that I was quite impressed with the degree of effort put into the performance of the 3 degrees which I witnessed this evening. Unlike the first 3 degrees of masonry, the Scottish Rite degrees do not require memorization or much participation. You simply watch the degrees like you would watch a play. The actors are dressed and made up to look the part and the stage is elaborately assembled and designed. I am actually curious as to how an organization with such nominal dues could afford such props and sets.

Each degree intends to teach a lesson. Some of the degrees are set in biblical times, others have been updated so they are easier to relate to. Most of the degrees or plays were written in the early 1800's after the inception of the Scottish Rite in 1801. The first Scottish Rite degree I witnessed was the 7th. The Degree reminds us that we should never judge the motives of others quickly, and we should avoid judging them at all if that is possible. The simplest reason is that we cannot truly know the motives of another; they are locked away in his heart. But the other reason is that we are very inclined to apply different standards to others than to ourselves. We excuse our own actions on the basis that our motives are good (our heart is in the right place), but with others, we often say “It doesn’t make any difference why he did it, it was wrong". The next degree I witnessed was the 14th. This degree makes a strong point.  Mankind—all men and women—are far more than mere accidents of fate or chemistry. They are individual, unique souls and spirits. That bond, that similarity is much greater than any possible difference which can separate us. Thus, each of us should truly think of every other person as a brother. The last degree I witnessed that evening was the 15th degree. Two great lessons are taught by this Degree. The first is that liberty is achieved slowly and by painful steps. It comes no more quickly than a nation or an individual is ready for it. Even then, it is a constant struggle to maintain it. The second is that honor and integrity are absolute, not relative or convenient. The world has often approved of dishonorable acts. Governments have even required dishonorable acts (consider the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850). The Mason must hold himself to a higher standard. (more info)

November 9th, 2002 - Today I achieved the 32° but in no way have I completed the 32 degrees. I only witnessed 3 degrees this evening in addition to the other 3 I witnessed last month. There are 23 I have still not seen. However, I have seen at least one degree from each of the sections that the 29 Scottish Rite degrees are divided into. Those coordinate divisions are:

The Ineffable Lodge of Perfection 4° - 14°
The Council of Princes of Jerusalem 15° - 16°
The Chapter of the Rose Croix 17° - 18°
The Consistory 19° - 32°

This evening was quite different from that of the lower degrees I witnessed last month. For these degrees I traveled 3 hours to upstate New Hampshire to a 'Reunion' or 'Convocation' (the terms used to describe the meetings where degrees are conferred as opposed to business meetings). New Hampshire is a small state which consists of 4 'Valleys'. I belong to the Portsmouth\Dover Valley. Each valley may have it's own set of coordinate divisions as listed above. My valley does some but no all. There is only one valley in New Hampshire that performs degrees of The Consistory and that is the Valley of Concord. Because of this setup, I will be required to travel to see all of the degrees. The reunion I attended this evening was comprised of attendees and performers from all around the state. The first degree I witnessed was the 18° which is one of the Rose Croix degrees. It was deeply religious and revolved around a crucifixion. I had a hard time understanding this degree and will need to witness it again (We have another reunion in April 2003). I did get the impression that although the theme of this degree was Christian, there was a lesson to be learned by everybody, regardless of faith. The following degree of the evening was the 23° . I enjoyed this one the most so far. This degree was one of the few which have been updated. It was called 'The Four Chaplains' degree and was based on events which took place during WWII on board the ill fated USS Dorchester. The degree performance was very emotionally intense and left the audience speechless. 

The final degree, the 32°, was also quite enjoyable. This degree describes the victory of the spiritual over the human in man and the conquest of appetites and passions by moral sense and reason. The exemplar represents every Freemason eager to serve humanity but caught between self-interest and the call of duty. Duty often requires sacrifice, sometimes the supreme sacrifice. After the degrees and rituals were completed, all the candidates were presented with dues cards, 32° pins, and a few other gifts. I have already volunteered to perform in the 'Woodchoppers' degree in April 2003. This a completely musical degree performed in an operetta like fashion.

December 8th, 2002 - Candlelight Stroll. I volunteered to assist guests in and out of the William Pitt Tavern. This tavern is quite a significant place for Masons and I must say it was a great honor to be there representing the fraternity to the public. I was quite surprised as to how many people have absolutely no understanding as to who the Masons are. Many visitors to the tavern suggested that Masons were a cult or fringe religious organization. I tried my best educate them with the little knowledge I myself have about Masonry. Interestingly enough, most men lost interest while their female companions stuck around to hear more about the fraternity. Maybe they were all looking for something to keep their husbands away from the television for a change. I also was amazed to hear that so many of the visitors of the tavern had Masonic relatives. They told me that back in the 'old' days, Masonry was not discussed at home with the families. Things have changed drastically since them since my wife actually attended my installation as Senior Steward.

February 1, 2003
Presentation of the 10th Degree, Master Elect of Fifteen.
This was the first degree in which I elected to participate. Actually, The script for the degree was mailed to me without requesting it. I was offered the part of Daniel since I would have no problem remembering my name on stage. I had on long line and it went quite well. The degree topic revolved around the story of Solomon. Even though I was quite familiar with the biblical story, the account that story was a bit different. I questioned the director as to how much of the story I should comprehend. He said that the scripts are very old and there is certainly wording that is outdated and unfamiliar and I should never expect to understand everything. I found it quite puzzling that so many men could dedicate so much time to learning a script that they don't fully comprehend. After the degree was completed it occurred to me that the degree work was also about tradition. One day I think I'll understand....I guess this is what makes Masonry so much fun.

One note I'd like to add is the fact the my Scottish Rite experience has proved my preconceived notions completely wrong. Many of the members of the Rite are not from my local lodge and have been involved for many many years. I thought that it would be difficult to break into the 'clique' and that I'd be treated as a stranger. The inverse was true. Everyone knew my name and made sure I was having fun....which is the whole point of being there in the first place!


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